Repairing a Bathroom Vanity

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

December 14, 2000

Q. I have an 8-year-old vanity made out of laminated oak in our bathroom. The side facing the commode is starting to peel away, mainly on the bottom edges. What can we do to stop this and hide or repair the current damage?

-Janet Stolow, Bellerose

A. I would suggest replacing the entire side with a piece of veneer. You're going to have to check around to buy a matching piece, but red oak or white oak should be easy to find. Try contacting Charlie Butera at The Hardwood Warehouse (516-221-4900) in Seaford for information on the availability of various sheets of veneer. You'll have to peel off the old veneer with a wood chisel, then prepare the plywood surface for the new piece of veneer. That means filling holes and gouges with wood putty and sanding. Finally, you have to glue on the new veneer, then make sure you can match the stain and finish.

It might be easier to just replace the vanity itself. I don't know the size of your vanity, but a two-piece set that includes the vanity and sink doesn't run much more than $ 200.

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There's a reason your veneer is peeling, too, and I would guess there's excessive moisture in the bathroom. If you have a shower or bath, you should have a fan to remove moisture and make your wood vanity last longer.